Follow the trials and tribulations of the New York Knights in the United States Chess League

Thursday, September 23, 2010

MVP Race - Redux

The current MVP system is easy to understand/follow, with points being given for wins, deducted for losses, bonuses for scoring with black and benefits to playing (and winning) on higher boards.

Given that the USCL is a team "tournament" and that match points are what counts, I propose a different system.

Plus Score + Number of Match Points "Contributed"

How does this work in practice? If the other three players on your team score either 0, 0.5, 2.5 or 3, your game has no theoretical bearing on the match outcome (though this doesn't quite reflect reality). You should still get the benefit, however, of winning and be penalized for losing, but all boards should be treated equally as should the piece colors. In the "central" cases, however, your game is a key determinant of the match's outcome.

If your teammates score 1.0/3, -1/3 if you lose or draw and +2/3 if you win

If your teammates score 1.5/3, -1 if you lose, 0 if you draw and +1 if you win

If your teammates score 2.0/3, -2/3 if you lose, +1/3 if you draw or win

This has the advantage of the aggregate score being zero-sum across the league, also allowing us to measure "LVP" and use the maximum gain from one season to the next to measure "most improved".